Footprints in the Snow
by BadWolfBabe
Summary: Much to her surprise (but to no one else's) James Potter asks Lily Evans out on a date on a snowy night. She's understandably nervous... so naturally, her friends want to spy to make sure everything goes well. Will it? (Jily, brief taste of Sirius/Remus.)


**Hi there! I wrote this story as a gift for a great girl on tumblr! She told me she loved Jily and Sirius/Remus so this is what I came up with. I hope you love it as much as she did!**

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><p>"Jemma!"<p>

Jemma looked up from her Potions textbook upon hearing Lily's shrill voice cut through the quiet air in the Great Hall. Lily's clicking heels quickly followed her frantic breath; her redheaded friend nearly dove into the seat across from Jemma, her eyes wide with shock.

"What's wrong with you?" Jemma asked, unfazed.

Over time, Jemma had grown used to Lily's overreactions. They first met in their third year, but became best friends when they discovered their mutual admiration for the art of Potions. Even though she loved her friend dearly, Jemma wondered how her friend functioned as Head Girl sometimes, especially given her predisposition to jumpiness.

Lily sat up tall and looked around the Great Hall. It was a break period for many upper year students, who were desperate to get most of their workload done before the holiday break. This was especially true for Jemma, who had to travel a long way home from London and wanted nothing more than to not have to worry about D.A.D.A. essays or mastering spells in Charms.

Satisfied with the spotted students around her, Lily hissed, "James asked me out."

Jemma smirked. "And what did you say?"

Lily, not hearing her friend, clarified, her voice shaking, "On a date."

She sighed, drumming her fingers on the table. Jemma made eye contact with her nervous friend; Lily was wringing her hands together so roughly Jemma thought she might break a finger.

"Yes, I heard. What did you say to him, Lily?"

Lily leaned closer, despite the relative emptiness surrounding them. "I said I'd meet him. Before dinner in the Quidditch pitch. Am I mad? I'm completely mad."

Jemma shrugged, trying to contain her inner glee. She had known that James and Lily had feelings for each other for quite some time, but she tried not to intervene, especially knowing how Lily got with these sorts of things.

"Do you want to meet him?" she asked.

Lily bit her lip and looked towards the ceiling. "Ah, maybe? Yes? Merlin, I dunno. This is all so sudden!"

Jemma stifled a snort. If only Lily knew how not sudden this all was.

Her friend babbled, "I'll need to change, of course. It's freezing outside. And I think it's snowing. Of course he'd want to meet when it's snowing. That's completely romantic, right? But what do you do on a date on the Quidditch pitch in the snow?"

"Snog?"

Lily's face reddened, but her lips curled in a smile. "You think? It's not much of a date, then."

She shrugged. "I guess you'll find out."

Her friend leaned back and sighed. "You're right."

Jemma beamed. "Of course I'm right. That's why they put me in Ravenclaw."

Lily laughed. "Yes, exactly." She paused, probably wondering whether or not James would try to kiss her. After a moment, she said, "I see you're studying. I'll leave you in peace, then. See you later?"

Speaking with Lily often felt like surviving a twister. Still, Jemma grinned. "Later."

* * *

><p>Jemma savored only a few moments of silence before she was interrupted again.<p>

"So what did Evans say?" James asked, plopping down on her left. Remus and Sirius followed suit across from her, and Peter, always lagging behind, sat to her right.

"Lily," Jemma corrected, "If you're going to date her, you might want to get used to her first name."

"Technicalities," Sirius said, flipping his hand.

"Well?" James prompted.

"Well," Jemma repeated, considering her words. She didn't want to leave James feeling entitled, but on the other hand, she didn't want him to sweat. "She said yes."

The boys collectively groaned. "I knew that," James said. "Was she excited?"

"Nervous?" Remus suggested.

"Horny?" Sirius added.

She shot a patronizing look at Sirius. "No! She just seems… like Lily. She's excited. And nervous."

"But not horny?" Sirius asked.

Jemma grunted. Sirius and Remus shared the same sheepish grin.

"Any tips, then?" James asked seriously. Although the boy normally exuded confidence, Jemma was getting used to seeing his softer side, especially when it came to her redheaded friend.

"Be nice to her," she warned, "Or else we'll have a problem. Other than that, um… make sure she doesn't get hypothermia. It is snowing outside."

"Almost Christmas," Remus said. "Not much we can do about the cold."

"Are you looking forward to the holiday?" Jemma asked. Even though she personally didn't celebrate Christmas, she liked seeing how excited her friends got about this time of year.

James shrugged. "It'll be nice to go home and open some presents."

"Ah, but Lily Evans is the best present you'll ever unwrap," Sirius winked.

Jemma smacked the boy with her Potions text. "You are so rude!"

But the boys, already lost in a fit of laughter, didn't hear her.

"Well, I should probably go prepare," James said, straightening his tie. "Only a few hours left 'til the big moment."

"See you!" the group choired as the Head Boy got up from his seat and walked out of the Great Hall.

Jemma, curious as to why the others didn't follow, asked, "What's up?"

Remus and Sirius exchanged knowing looks. Next to her, Peter snickered.

"Well," Sirius began.

"We were thinking of monitoring the date," Remus said.

"Monitoring?" Jemma repeated flatly.

"You know, just make sure everything goes well," Sirius said.

"And that James doesn't make a total ass out of himself," Remus said. "Are you interested in joining us?"

Although Jemma was intrigued by the idea of watching her friend and James Potter navigate through an awkward first date, her principles wouldn't budge.

"I don't know," she said, sighing. "I don't really like the idea of listening in."

"Fine," Sirius conceded, "We won't listen in. But we can at least watch?"

"From where?" she wondered.

"We know a place," Sirius said vaguely.

"What do you say?" Remus asked.

Jemma couldn't believe she was considering spying on her friend. It was highly unethical, and she could only imagine how embarrassed Lily would be to know.

And yet, before she could stop herself, she agreed, "Alright, fine, I'll do it. But only to make sure he doesn't hurt her."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Sirius teased.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Jemma found herself in an empty classroom overlooking the Quidditch pitch. Remus, Sirius, and Peter crowded the row of the windows, eagerly awaiting Lily's appearance.<p>

James, of course, had been waiting outside even before Jemma and her friends walked into the classroom. It was so like him to be overly eager about these sorts of things—but then, he had been pining for Lily for a few years now, and he probably didn't want to be even a second late. Although Jemma still didn't feel completely right about overlooking the first date, she was excited to see how well it went.

"Five galleons he goes in for the kiss," Sirius bet.

"You're on!" Remus said, clasping his friend's hand.

Jemma noticed that the boys' grip lingered much longer than it should have; her face reddened at the realization. She cleared her throat—trying to focus her suddenly racing mind as it connected the dots—and the boys immediately dropped their grip. Thankfully, Peter, who was absentmindedly looking out the window, did not notice the random sign of affection between his friends.

"Here she comes!" Remus said excitedly. "Oh, she looks so nice."

Lily had stayed true to her word and changed. Although their view was partially obstructed by the heavy snow fall, Jemma clearly saw Lily's dark green cardigan, which nicely matched her red hair, and pressed black pants. She thought her friend looked very pretty.

"She is a cutie," Sirius agreed with his friend.

Lily approached James casually, waving a hand in greeting. James closed the gap between the two of them and gestured wildly at his date. Lily raised a hand to her face, embarrassed, as James continued flailing his limbs.

"What's he doing?" Peter wondered.

"Saying she's beautiful," Sirius said. "Gotta be. Otherwise he's lookin' like a jackass for no reason."

Jemma stifled a giggle. Well, he wasn't wrong.

The conversation between James and Lily seemed to be going well. Lily wasn't wringing her hands and James quickly calmed down. The two walked small circles around the pitch, their words freezing in the air. James boldly reached for Lily's hand on their third lap. Although Jemma couldn't clearly see Lily's face, she imagined her friend was blushing and squealing.

"What's the point if we can't hear them?" Remus lamented.

"Yeah, why'd you have to be such a spoilsport?" Sirius agreed, turning on Jemma.

She didn't budge. "Wouldn't you feel wrong about spying on them? And how would you hear them from this far up, anyway?"

The boys smirked. "Always thinking ahead, huh?" Sirius said.

"It's nice to see him so happy, at any rate," Remus said.

"He deserves it," Sirius agreed.

Remus suddenly cleared his throat and cast a longing glance at Sirius, but the dark haired boy was too preoccupied with watching James to notice. Jemma smiled at the gesture, but bowed her head as to not be seen by her friends.

"Oh!" Peter shrieked. "They've stopped walking."

The group eagerly pressed their faces against the glass. James and Lily were standing at the edge of the pitch, swinging their arms in sync.

"The suspense is killing me," Sirius said dryly.

"I know. I'm ready for dinner," Remus said.

Just then, James leaned forward. Jemma saw Lily's body stiffen, her fists close, and then loosen. Lily closed the gap between them, and they held the kiss—their first kiss—for so long Jemma thought they might pass out.

The boys erupted in cheers when James and Lily kissed.

"Brilliant!" Sirius said as Remus swore. "Five galleons richer!"

"Now can we go?" Jemma said, still smiling. "We ought to give them some privacy. They earned it, huh?"

"Alright, alright," Remus said, stepping away from the window. "You're right. How about some dinner?"

The others murmured in approval and started for the door. Even though her stomach urged her to go with her friends, she couldn't help but peek back out the window. James and Lily had parted; James was holding Lily's face, and her friend—oh, her lucky friend—was grinning like a lovesick school girl. Well, after all, that's what she was. Her heart swelled with love and happiness for Lily—and for James, as annoying as he could be. If anybody deserved happiness, it was definitely those two: Head Boy and Head Girl of Hogwarts.

"Merry Christmas, Lily," Jemma said under her breath, and then followed her friends into the bowels of the castle.


End file.
